Don’t Overextend

In Baduk, the board starts empty. We take turns choosing our life's path, stone by stone. At first, there is so much room to play! We strive for the corners, then branch into the sides, and eventually we occupy some of the center.

If we are lucky, all our choices work together. Our moves connect in goal and in spirit, our intentions align, and we don't leave any weak groups on the board.

The easy way to do this, is to be timid. To never stretch ourselves or explore uneasy places. But living like this we find that when it comes time to count our spoils, we don't have much to show.

But my issues has always been one of over extending. I get so excited by what is possible that I want to play every move, to expand into every territory, and to become a master of everything.

Humbled

It's not possible to do it all. On the goban and in life, we must find balance. I learned this the hard way. A few years back I opened my own alternative school. At the same time, I was running a real estate business. And on top of all that I ran my twice a week local baduk meetup, taught weiqi at three schools, and ran regional tournaments.

My relationships became poisoned. My physical heath suffered. My mental state crumbled. None of my stones worked together and all my groups were weak.

I found myself defeated and exhausted. But in life, as in Baduk, a stone played is a move made.

A New Strategy

Unlike Baduk, in life you don't get to start again on fresh board when you're defeated. But much like in Baduk, when you realize your strategy isn't working, you should cut your loses and refocus.

Since then, I've shut down my school (for now), scaled back my real estate responsibilities, and dedicated almost all of my energy into Baduk.

Yet, I don't spend much of my time playing the game these days. Rather, I meditate on its life-lessons, support existing communities, and dream of how to expand to new reaches of the goban.

My Latest Moves Played